Shooting at Paris Newspaper Office

A shooting at the satirical French newspaper Charlie Hebdo early this afternoon has left at least 12 people dead and a number of others seriously injured.

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French police confirm that 12 people have died in the shooting at the Charlie Hebdo office and three others were seriously wounded.

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 1:31:50 PM

The attackers fled the scene of the shooting in a hijacked car and they remain on the run. The city is on high alert.

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 1:36:46 PM

This is not the first attack on the Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine. A number of anti-religious cartoons have prompted outrage in the past, particularly a number of drawings that included images of the Prophet Mohammad. The office was firebombed in 2011, and other recent threats have been lodged against the magazine, as well as other media groups.

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 1:41:25 PM

A number of videos of the moments after the attack have been shared online, including this one that appears to show two gunmen dressed in all black outside the offices.

French President Francois Hollande spoke earlier at the scene, calling it a "terrorist operation" and a "cowardly act."

He noted that the number of previous threats made against the publication prompted a police presence at their office. The police were among the targets in today's attack, and photos show that a police car was riddled with bullets near the scene.

President Obama just issued a statement condemning the "horrific" attack.

"France is America’s oldest ally, and has stood shoulder to shoulder with the United States in the fight against terrorists who threaten our shared security and the world," the statement reads. "Time and again, the French people have stood up for the universal values that generations of our people have defended. France, and the great city of Paris where this outrageous attack took place, offer the world a timeless example that will endure well beyond the hateful vision of these killers. We are in touch with French officials and I have directed my Administration to provide any assistance needed to help bring these terrorists to justice."

His remarks come after British Prime Minister David Cameron condemned the attack while speaking at Parliament and Canadian Prime Minister tweeted out a message of support for their French allies in light of the "barbaric attacks."

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 2:11:40 PM

There will be a mass solidarity demonstration in the heart of Paris, at the Place de la Republique today at 7:00 p.m. local time, 1:00 p.m. ET.

A spokeswoman for the Paris prosecutor's office told the news agency that the editor of the magazine and one of their main cartoonists were killed in the attack. The two men went by pen names and their full names have not been released.

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 2:32:36 PM

The cover of this week’s issue of the magazine focuses on a new fiction book by Michel Houellebecq, "Submission," which depicts France led by an Islamic party that bans women from the workplace.

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 2:48:35 PM

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a statement saying that they are "closely monitoring the unfolding events in Paris."

They did not specify if or how they are playing a role in the ongoing investigation but said that the DHS "routinely shares information with our state, local, federal and international law enforcement, intelligence and homeland security partners, and continually evaluates the level of protection we provide at federal facilities."

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 2:52:53 PM

People hug each other outside the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo's office, in Paris, Jan. 7, 2015. Remy de la Mauviniere/AP Photo

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 2:57:16 PM

The head of the French Council on Muslim Faith, Imam Dalil Boubakeur, put out a statement in light of the attacks.

"We condemn in the name of all Muslims this terrible crime," Boubakeur said this morning.

The identities and affiliations of the three suspected attackers have not been confirmed, but footage from the scene appears to show at least one of the men screaming "Allahu Akbar," an Islamic phrase that roughly translated means "God is great."

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 3:05:20 PM

A State Department official told ABC News that while French authorities have not confirmed the identities of the victims, "at this stage, we are not aware of any U.S. citizens involved."

The New York Police Department has sent extra security to the French consulate on Manhattan's Upper East side as well as increasing security at other sensitive, yet undisclosed, locations.

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 3:24:35 PM

This car was removed from the scene of the shooting, but Paris police said it was too early in the investigation to confirm whether or not it was the vehicle used by the shooters. Ian Langsdon/EPA.

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 3:34:34 PM

This photo reportedly shows the armed gunman confronting police near the Charlie Hebdo offices, near the car that has since been removed from the scene. Anne Gelbard/AFP/Getty Images.

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 3:40:12 PM

From ABC News' Lee Ferran: Today's deadly attack was well-planned and a deliberately-executed assault by trained militants, according to two counter-terrorism experts.

“They carried out the operation in a very calm, controlled way,” said Richard Clarke, former White House counter-terrorism advisor and current ABC News consultant. “They appear to have fire discipline, not spraying bullets everywhere. They were people who did not look like they were wild, on some kind of spree, but who were accomplishing a military operation.”

Another expert, a former Army special operations counter-terrorism official, agreed and said it appeared the masked, AK-47-weilding attackers likely had conducted extensive reconnaissance on their target in order to have struck so effectively and manage to escape, all without appearing to panic.

“I don’t think you can act like the way I’m seeing them act… and be on your first rodeo,” he said.

The newspaper dates back to 1960 when an early version of the publication was started by Francois Cavanna and Georges Bernier. At the time, the weekly publication was called Hari-Kari Hebdo.

The publication aimed to poke fun at religious, government, popular figures and institutions. It was banned in 1970 after publishing a cartoon lampooning media coverage of deadly fire, according to translated text from Charlie Hebdo's website.

To avoid the ban, the magazine’s name was changed to Charlie Hebdo and republished within weeks of the ban up until 1982, when it ceased publishing for financial reasons. The magazine was revived in 1992 in its current form.

In 2006, the magazine republished an infamous Danish cartoon depicting the prophet Mohammed in a special issue. The magazine sold 400,000 copies, but was besieged by threats.

Rather than avoiding the controversial topic, the magazine published a special issue in 2011 with caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed, including one cartoon on its cover. The offices were later firebombed, but no employee was killed in that attack.

In 2012, the magazine again drew attention for publishing more cartoons of Mohammed, drawing angry rebukes from some in the Muslim community.

Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane Charbonnier, who a spokeswoman for the Paris Prosecutor's office said died in today's attack, spoke to ABC News in 2012 when their newspaper was under fire over a controversial cartoon.

"We are provocative today, we will be provocative tomorrow and it's our job," he said at the time.

"Our job is not to defend freedom of speech but without freedom of speech we are dead. We can't live in a country without freedom of speech. I prefer to die than live like a rat."

President Obama is going to be meeting with Secretary of State John Kerry momentarily in the Oval Office and they are expected to discuss the Paris attack.

Kerry addressed the "murderous attack" during a joint appearance with Polish Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetnya at the State Department.

After addressing the press in English, Kerry, whose family has French roots, spoke at length in fluent French as well.

Besides his familial connections, Kerry has made a point to build a strong diplomatic relationship with the French leadership. France is the country he has traveled to most during his time as Secretary of state, making 18 trips to the country in the past two years.

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 4:55:46 PM

The Charlie Hebdo website has been changed to show this image with the phrase "Je Suis Charlie." The phrase, which means "I am Charlie" has been trending as a hashtag as Twitter users show their support for the satirical newspaper.

It's now just after 6:00 p.m. in Paris and here's what we know so far:

-Three gunmen attacked the staff of a French satirical newspaper, Charlie Hebdo, this morning

-12 people were killed and three others were seriously injured

-The shooters' identities or affiliations are not known but footage from the scene appears to show at least one of the men shouting "Allahu Akbar," an Islamic phrase that means "God is great"

-Agence France Presse reports that the attackers were armed with Kalashnikovs and a rocket launcher

-The attackers escaped the scene, in the heart of Paris, after hijacking a car

-Paris' terror warning was raised to the highest level and extra security forces have been ordered to protect the French consulate in New York

-World leaders have condemned the attack, including President Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 5:13:36 PM

The latest issue of Charlie Hebdo, which was released today before the attack, has reportedly sold out on the streets of Paris.

The cover focuses on a new fiction book by Michel Houellebecq, "Submission," which depicts France led by an Islamic party that bans women from the workplace.

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 5:24:37 PM

ABC News Special Report as President Obama speaks from the Oval Office, saying how he called President Hollande and "express[ed] my deepest sympathies." abcnews.go.com

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 5:31:53 PM

Paris Prosecutor Francois Molins gave an update moments ago and said that there saying that 10 people were killed during an editorial meeting at the newspaper, and the two other victims were a police officer who had been ordered to protect the office, and the building's doorman. None of their names were officially released the the autopsies will be performed Thursday.

He also gave an updated number of the others injured in the attack, saying that in addition to the fatalities there were 11 people injured, four of whom critically.

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 5:36:39 PM

FBI Director James Comey addressed the attack, saying that the agency will help their French counterparts.

"We are working with them, doing everything we can to help them bring to justice the perpetrators of the attack this morning," he said at an appearance at Fordham Law School in New York.

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 5:43:27 PM

There have been no official sightings of the assailants since the attack occurred at 11:30 a.m. local, seven and a half hours ago.

Prosecutor Francois Molins said that a black Citroen pulled up to the building that houses Charlie Hebdo's office and after asking the doorman where the office was, they shot him. They also shot a police officer outside of the building. The 10 other victims were killed during an editorial meeting in the newspaper's office.

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 6:02:10 PM

Thousands of demonstrators have gathered in Paris -- many holding press cards and pens -- in support of the slain journalists from Charlie Hebdo.

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 6:19:50 PM

Demonstrators gather at the Place de la Republique this evening. Christophe Ena/AP Photo.

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 6:47:04 PM

French President Francois Hollande is speaking live now, paying tribute to the victims: "They were marked by their independence."

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 7:02:51 PM

Hollande says he has received messages of "solidarity and fraternity from the whole world." Watch his address live here.

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 7:04:41 PM

The French President did not release any new specific information about the ongoing search for the assailants.

"France has always faced and defeated its enemies" when it stays true to its national values, Hollande said.

by Meghan.Keneally1/7/2015 7:06:43 PM

We are taking a break on this live blog but will return with any major updates as the situation develops.